ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE  April 8, 2008 4:08 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Johnny Ellis, Chair Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair Senator Bettye Davis MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Lyman Hoffman Senator Con Bunde COMMITTEE CALENDAR  Confirmation hearing: Board of Personnel Debra English CONFIRMATION ADVANCED CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 297(RLS) "An Act relating to student permits authorized by the Board of Veterinary Examiners; and relating to the application of certain statutes pertaining to veterinarians and veterinary practice to certain persons." MOVED CSHB 297(RLS) OUT OF COMMITTEE HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 24 am Opposing any law that would establish a federal insurance regulatory system. MOVED SCS HJR 24(L&C) OUT OF COMMITTEE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 383(L&C) "An Act establishing an exemption from the dentist licensing exam for certain persons." MOVED CSHB 383(L&C) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: SB 297 SHORT TITLE: NONUNION PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SALARY & BENEFIT SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR 03/03/08 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/03/08 (S) FIN 03/06/08 (S) L&C REFERRAL ADDED BEFORE FIN 03/11/08 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/11/08 (S) Heard & Held 03/11/08 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 03/15/08 (S) L&C AT 4:00 PM BELTZ 211 03/15/08 (S) Heard & Held 03/15/08 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 03/18/08 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/18/08 (S) Moved CSSB 297(L&C) Out of Committee 03/18/08 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 03/19/08 (S) L&C RPT CS 2DP 2DNP 1NR NEW TITLE 03/19/08 (S) DP: ELLIS, DAVIS 03/19/08 (S) DNP: BUNDE, STEVENS 03/19/08 (S) NR: HOFFMAN BILL: HJR 24 SHORT TITLE: OPPOSING FEDERAL INSURANCE REGULATION SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) COGHILL 05/09/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 05/09/07 (H) L&C 02/13/08 (H) L&C AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 17 02/13/08 (H) Moved Out of Committee 02/13/08 (H) MINUTE(L&C) 02/15/08 (H) L&C RPT 3DP 2NR 02/15/08 (H) DP: GARDNER, BUCH, OLSON 02/15/08 (H) NR: LEDOUX, GATTO 03/28/08 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 03/28/08 (H) VERSION: HJR 24 AM 03/31/08 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/31/08 (S) L&C 04/05/08 (S) L&C AT 11:00 AM BELTZ 211 04/05/08 (S) Heard & Held 04/05/08 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 04/08/08 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 BILL: HB 383 SHORT TITLE: DENTIST LICENSE EXAM EXCEPTION SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) COGHILL 02/19/08 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/19/08 (H) MLV, L&C 03/18/08 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 03/18/08 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED -- 03/25/08 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 03/25/08 (H) Moved Out of Committee 03/25/08 (H) MINUTE(MLV) 03/26/08 (H) MLV RPT 4DP 1NR 03/26/08 (H) DP: LEDOUX, DAHLSTROM, RAMRAS, ROSES 03/26/08 (H) NR: KAWASAKI 04/02/08 (H) L&C AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 17 04/02/08 (H) Moved CSHB 383(L&C) Out of Committee 04/02/08 (H) MINUTE(L&C) 04/03/08 (H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) 4DP 2NR 04/03/08 (H) DP: GATTO, NEUMAN, BUCH, OLSON 04/03/08 (H) NR: LEDOUX, GARDNER 04/04/08 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 04/04/08 (H) VERSION: CSHB 383(L&C) 04/06/08 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/06/08 (S) L&C 04/08/08 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 WITNESS REGISTER DEBRA ENGLISH, nominee State Personnel Board Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on her qualification to be on the State Personnel Board. REPRESENTATIVE MARK NEUMAN Alaska State Capitol Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 297. KAREN LIDSTER Staff to Representative Moses Alaska State Capitol Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on HJR 24 and HB 383 for the sponsor. DR. DAVID EICHLER, representing himself North Pole, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 383. ACTION NARRATIVE CHAIR JOHNNY ELLIS called the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting to order at 4:08:39 PM. Present at the call to order were Senators Davis, Stevens and Ellis. ^Confirmation hearing: Board of Personnel DEBRA ENGLISH said she worked for the state for several years and the Division of Personnel. She was appointed by Governor Murkowski and still enjoys working with the board. This is where her interest and expertise is. SENATOR STEVENS asked if she has interests beyond Personnel Board. MS. ENGLISH answered dog, husband, and grown children. She wants to give back to the community. CHAIR ELLIS asked if executive ethics cases come before the personnel board. She replied cases involving the governor, the attorney general and the lieutenant governor. CHAIR ELLIS asked the appropriate way to handle those issues. MS. ENGLISH answered the board seeks outside counsel for those issues. CHAIR ELLIS asked if timelines are involved with those kinds of things. MS. ENGLISH replied that they were. 4:16:29 PM SENATOR STEVENS moved to forward all the names to the joint body. There were no objections and it was so ordered. CSHB 297(RLS)-PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE  4:16:52 PM CHAIR ELLIS announced CSHB 297(RLS) to be up for consideration. He said it was the second hearing and there was no known opposition. REPRESENTATIVE MARK NEUMAN, sponsor of HB 297, recapped that this bill is supported by the Alaska Board of Veterinary Examiners, the Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association, the Division of Corporations and Division of Occupational Licensing. It had controversial issues, but those were taken out and it updated others from 1989. It's extremely important to get more vets up here. CHAIR ELLIS asked him to let him know when the board takes up the issue of reporting of cruelty to animals and tell him how it was handled. REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN said that they put it on their June 13, 2008 agenda, at the same time the legislature will be sitting in Juneau. SENATOR STEVENS moved to report CSHB 297(RLS) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered. HJR 24 am -OPPOSING FEDERAL INSURANCE REGULATION    4:19:32 PM CHAIR ELLIS announced HJR 24 am to be up for consideration. KAREN LIDSTER, staff to Representative Moses, explained Amendment 1 that deleted reference to the McCarran-Ferguson Act. AMENDMENT 1 OFFERED IN THE SENATE TO: HJR 24 am Page 2, lines 28 - 29: Delete "or otherwise alter the McCarran-Ferguson Act" SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 25- LS0880\AA.1. There were no objections and it was so ordered. 4:21:58 PM SENATOR DAVIS moved to report SCS HJR 24(L&C) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered. CSHB 383(L&C)-DENTIST LICENSE EXAM EXCEPTION  4:22:30 PM CHAIR ELLIS announced CSHB 383(L&C) to be up for consideration. KAREN LIDSTER, staff to Representative Coghill, sponsor of HB 383, explained this bill makes a small change to be able to capture the expertise of our military personnel that have been working in the dental field for years, but have been promoted to positions of supervision. On page 2, lines 14-15, "or a full time dental supervisory position in an agency of or the armed forces of the United States" was added after "clinical practice averaging at least 20 hours a week". 4:24:31 PM CHAIR ELLIS asked if there is any known opposition. MS. LIDSTER replied none. It is supported by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Dental Society and the Division of Occupational Licensing. CHAIR ELLIS asked if this hasn't caused a turf concern with current licensed dentists in the state. MS. LIDSTER replied no. 4:25:27 PM DR. DAVID EICHLER, representing himself, North Pole, said he is also the president of the Board of Dental Examiners, and supported HB 383. It allows a pathway to licensure for some very highly skilled and competent people who might otherwise leave the state. SENATOR STEVENS asked if he had any qualms at all about someone in a command position being able to keep up with changes in dentistry. DR. EICHLER replied no. He explained that the other credentials for licensure that this bill would be a subsection say they have to be licensed in another state for their whole career, they've practiced dentistry for long years already, they don't reach the command positions until they are a full colonel or close to it, which is about 20 years. They maintain really high standards of continuing education and practice in an environment with other professionals in developing their skills. If they are out of the clinical setting with their practice, they go back and redevelop their skills as any other professional would. It's like any other skill - it becomes a part of you. He didn't have any problems with granting licensure to some in that position. 4:30:36 PM SENATOR STEVENS said it makes a lot of sense, and if they had a lot of time he would ask for something in writing from the Dental Society. He asked if something like that already was available. MS. LIDSTER replied she didn't have correspondence from the Dental Society, but the executive director has communicated he was comfortable with this bill. SENATOR STEVENS said that made it okay with him. CHAIR ELLIS asked if that person testified on public record in the House or was it just a conversation with staff. MS. LIDSTER replied it wasn't on the public record, but they had the conversation with Dr. Eichler. CHAIR ELLIS asked her for some kind of correspondence from the Dental Society in support of this bill to put in the bill's file. 4:32:58 PM SENATOR DAVIS moved to report CSHB 383 (L&C) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered. There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Ellis adjourned the meeting at 4:33:50 PM.